CNSNews.com
Conyers Sees No Point in Members Reading 1,000-Page Health Care Bill--Unless They Have 2 Lawyers to Interpret It for Them
Monday, July 27, 2009
By Nicholas Ballasy, Video Reporter

(CNSNews.com) - During his speech at a National Press Club luncheon, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), questioned the point of lawmakers reading the health care bill.

“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill,’” said Conyers.

“What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?”

http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/checker.aspx?v=GduzuzqGqG

Indo

07-29-2009, 09:39 AM

It seems to be status quo for the way policy is made these days. They didn't read the Stimulus Package bill, either. After all, how can we expect the poor little lawmakers to actually do any work after they are elected to represent us...

This country is truly screwed

revefsreleets

07-29-2009, 09:53 AM

You can bet all the Senators read it...

I actually, to a point, understand what he is saying. These guys need huge staff's to deal with all the shit that crosses their desk...no one person could even possibly read all these bills before they voted. Howvere, this is a pretty big one, so he might have spent at least a LITTLE time on it, I'd say...

KeiselPower99

07-29-2009, 10:15 AM

They wrote it up and dont know whats in it?? Congrats buddy your term is over next year.

Indo

07-29-2009, 10:16 AM

Maybe I need to start a new business

Cliff Notes for Congressmen

7SteelGal43

07-29-2009, 10:42 AM

Almost 100 congressmen, 8 of them being Senators have actually signed a pact to read this bill before voting on it. Every one of them are Republican.

SteelersinCA

07-29-2009, 11:06 AM

Obama also blasted Bush in 2004 for pushing through legislation no one had a chance to read.

steelreserve

07-29-2009, 11:34 AM

I think I read before that Congress votes on something like a million pages of legislation per year. It's physically impossible to read it all. It's physically impossible for any lawyer to know it all. This is why they have all kinds of committees and subcommittees who are SUPPOSED to do that, anyway, and give the executive summary to the general members. And why the law profession is becoming more and more specialized.

Not that I think this is the best way to run things -- keeping the laws to a reasonable length would be more like it -- but that's the way things have gotten now that we've decided to essentially eliminate any human decision-making from applying the rules. If you passed a simple law like "no stealing," suddenly there would be 50,000 lawsuits forcing you to clarify what it meant, because no aspect of it should ever be left up to individual judgment, because that might not be FAIR. Especially to women and minorities. But that's the way we do things now, I guess. Sucks.

43Hitman

07-29-2009, 11:38 AM

I think I read before that Congress votes on something like a million pages of legislation per year. It's physically impossible to read it all. It's physically impossible for any lawyer to know it all. This is why they have all kinds of committees and subcommittees who are SUPPOSED to do that, anyway, and give the executive summary to the general members. And why the law profession is becoming more and more specialized.

Not that I think this is the best way to run things -- keeping the laws to a reasonable length would be more like it -- but that's the way things have gotten now that we've decided to essentially eliminate any human decision-making from applying the rules. If you passed a simple law like "no stealing," suddenly there would be 50,000 lawsuits forcing you to clarify what it meant, because no aspect of it should ever be left up to individual judgment, because that might not be FAIR. Especially to women and minorities. But that's the way we do things now, I guess. Sucks.

I see where you're coming from, but hell, they could at least read the ones that will potentially affect every American in a profound way.

steelreserve

07-29-2009, 11:52 AM

I see where you're coming from, but hell, they could at least read the ones that will potentially affect every American in a profound way.

I'd prefer it if they did too. But this is basically just the result of a system that's become completely unmanageable. It's no wonder the laws that come of it get steadily worse and worse when if you're a lawmaker, it's all you can do to keep your head above water.

lamberts-lost-tooth

07-29-2009, 12:14 PM

I see where you're coming from, but hell, they could at least read the ones that will potentially affect every American in a profound way.

It would be a heck of lot easier to read bills if you could eliminate the tens of thousands of pages slipped into them for pork spending!!!!

Vincent

07-29-2009, 12:55 PM

Somebody wrote every word contained in every bill. Its a damned sight harder to write than to read. If it can be written, why can't people (we pay $150K + "expenses") read the damned things?

Obama also blasted Bush in 2004 for pushing through legislation no one had a chance to read.

Yeahbit at least the bums that didn't read it voted for or against it. bho just voted "present". That @#$%er is unbelievable!!

steelreserve

07-29-2009, 01:54 PM

Somebody wrote every word contained in every bill.

Either a lawyer or a legislative aide, or more likely teams of them. The lawmaker probably gives them the general concept, they write it to account for every nitpicking detail like a drawn-out business contract, then the lawmaker skims through it and signs off on it as his.

To write it themselves without farming any of it out that way, every single member of Congress would have to write about 20,000 pages a year, or 2.5 pages per hour, 24 hours a day. That just can't be done. Again, it sucks, and I'd rather they wrote a third the amount of laws and made them shorter and, well ... good. But this is the explanation for why they do it this way now.

revefsreleets

07-29-2009, 03:45 PM

By the way, Obama admitted at his stop in Cleveland last week that he hasn't read it either. He also stated that he'd sign it no matter what (i.e. without bothering to read it), and he also chided people to stop calling their congresspeople with questions about the healthcare initiative because they were slowing down the process.

That last bit is particularly disturbing...he's essentially telling us to shut up and stop asking questions or voicing concerns over socialized medicine.

Oh, my source? A guy I work with who went...and, YES, he's s registered D who voted for Barry.

Indo

07-29-2009, 04:18 PM

By the way, Obama admitted at his stop in Cleveland last week that he hasn't read it either. He also stated that he'd sign it no matter what (i.e. without bothering to read it), and he also chided people to stop calling their congresspeople with questions about the healthcare initiative because they were slowing down the process.
That last bit is particularly disturbing...he's essentially telling us to shut up and stop asking questions or voicing concerns over socialized medicine.

Oh, my source? A guy I work with who went...and, YES, he's s registered D who voted for Barry.

Change we can believe in...The gall of these people to forget the fact that they work for us (at least, in principle).

Mark my words, a revolution is coming----it may not be the kind with muskets and bayonets----but it IS coming

HometownGal

07-29-2009, 05:35 PM

Obama also blasted Bush in 2004 for pushing through legislation no one had a chance to read.

By the way, Obama admitted at his stop in Cleveland last week that he hasn't read it either. He also stated that he'd sign it no matter what (i.e. without bothering to read it), and he also chided people to stop calling their congresspeople with questions about the healthcare initiative because they were slowing down the process.

That last bit is particularly disturbing...he's essentially telling us to shut up and stop asking questions or voicing concerns over socialized medicine.

Oh, my source? A guy I work with who went...and, YES, he's s registered D who voted for Barry.

That sounds about right. Shut up and let the government take care of it.

JackHammer

07-30-2009, 01:17 AM

It would be a heck of lot easier to read bills if you could eliminate the tens of thousands of pages slipped into them for pork spending!!!!

Yeah and more often than not, the citizens who bitch about pork are the same citizens who vote people out of office for not bringing the pork to their district.

Don't worry - they'll read it. Elections are coming up and God forbid they not be re-elected and actually have to work for a living. :jerkit:

But HTG... You know as well as I do that they DON"T go out and get regular jobs. Instead, they get "consulting" jobs in Washington DC and make 4 times the amount of money with no ethics laws.... well, least now they don't have to put up the facade of caring about the ethics laws.

I think that is the REAL crime, the fact that we have really created an oligarchy in America of government, and those who used to be in govt.

revefsreleets

07-30-2009, 10:00 AM

One of the liberal tenets is knowing better what's best for all of us...this seems to be very galling and tangible proof of that...

St33lersguy

07-31-2009, 03:44 PM

He sees no point in reading a thousand page bill in 2 days. Then take longer you lazy piece of sh*t especially if it drives up debt.
Sadly there are radio talkshow hosts and tv newsmwn that care more about this country and people than this crooked administration.